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The purchase and improvements to the former Empire Beauty School building may cost Schuylkill County up to $2.6 million.

The board issued a $21 million bond in October to fund various county infrastructure projects, including the purchase and/or renovations to a new building. According to a breakdown of the bond, the board set aside $2,625,000 for the Schoeneman building.

In December, the county commissioners approved, on a 2-1 vote, the eminent domain seizure of the 0.46-acre property at 324 N. Centre St. and two parking lots owned by the Schoeneman Corp., Pottsville.

The government has the right to take private property for public use following payment of fair market value.

Empire Education Group only recently moved to a new building across from the Fairlane Village mall in East Norwegian Township.

A tenant, Telecommunications On Demand, or TOD, is still in the building. TOD is currently involved in discussions to relocate to the former Service Access and Management Inc. building at 1 S. Second St. SAM, the county's mental health and developmental service provider, moved into its new building at 590 Terry Reiley Way in November.

The seizure cost the county $740,000, which includes $455,000 for the building, $200,000 for the Second Street lot and $85,000 for the adjacent lot.

That leaves $1,885,000 for renovation costs.

The county estimated the cost of renovations from a probable cost study done in 2009. According to the 2009 study, renovations to the building would cost $1,939,735. The most significant costs were an elevator for $70,000 and roof replacement for $98,400.

The commissioners said the Schoeneman Corp. will be paying for the roof replacement before the county moves into the building. Eliminating that cost, renovations would total $1,841,335.

The county is still waiting on an updated analysis of construction costs and it is unknown what renovations have been done to the building since 2009. Final costs could also be less than initially budgeted.

In February, the board approved a professional services agreement with WJP Engineers, Pottsville, for designing the project.

Commissioner Gary J. Hess voted against the eminent domain seizure, but said he always supported the project.

"I would still rather we made the purchase in another way, but that's behind us now," Hess said Thursday.

Hess said the engineers will begin designing next week and hopes to have a completed design with total costs for renovation available by the end of March.

"We want to get into this process as fast as we can," Hess said.

Even though there may be a lot of work still needing to be done, Hess said it is a good project for the county.

"We need more space and it is in close proximity to the courthouse and city hall," Hess said. "It's a campus-like setting where all the county agencies are close and that's what we are trying to attain."

Hess said the project has been looked at for a while.

"This is something that has been looked at not just by our board, but previous commissioners, and we have to do the best we can to move Schuylkill County forward."

Commissioner George F. Halcovage said a new building with additional parking was a high priority.

"There was no question that our people were overcrowded and we needed to do something," Halcovage said. "We also have that grant money. If we did not do something soon, we could have lost that money."

Halcovage referred to a $500,000 grant on the project from the state Office of the Budget's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Grant Program. It was received in 2011 to pay for 50 percent of renovation costs to the Children & Youth Office, which is currently located at the Human Service Complex at 410 N. Centre St. The county plans to move the office across the street into the former beauty school. The county could then use the grant for the new building if the office is moved there.

Halcovage also said it was the right building for the county.

"We believe we made a good business decision. To be in this position, you have to make good business decisions. It may not always be a popular decision, but you have to look at what is best for the whole," Halcovage said. "At the end of the day, we understand our responsibility to the taxpayers and we take that responsibility seriously."

Commissioner Chairman Frank J. Staudenmeier was not available for comment Thursday.

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